Home > How Much Will Labeling Genetically Engineered Foods Really Cost?

01.8.15

Since the first genetically engineered (GMO) crops were introduced in the United States in the 1990s, consumers have not been able to tell whether they are eating these controversial new ingredients. And whenever the subject of mandatory labeling of GMO foods comes up, the food industry claims that labeling will be prohibitively expensive.

But the industry's most frequently repeated claims about the cost of labeling are based on cherry-picked economic analyses and extreme scenarios. The biggest food companies and agribusinesses are worried that consumers will be wary of “scary sounding” GMO labels. But if GMO products are as safe and natural as these companies claim, then why not let consumers decide what they want to buy?